WEEK 21

dear everyone,

well what a week! haha i first off wanted to thank everyone for the prayers and love towards me and my other missionaries in france! it's been quite the interesting and kind of scary week but honestly there is nothing to worry about when you're in the Lord's hands and on his errand right? we've been very safe and very aware of everything going on and we are truly watched over and blessed all the time. me and the other elders here in metz are actually a little happy to hear that our small town in France made world news! so a little good comes out of everything! look for the good and it will come haha that's my little shpeel to you all this week! ok here was my week!

MONDAY NIGHT

not too much happened tonight! me and my comp went out porting and we talked a lot about people from home and how we missed all our friends and it was good but made me think a lot about all of you! it was good and fun though and sometimes you need to just vent and make things better right? haha it was a good night. then when we got back the ZL's were here for an exchange with the other equipe! so we got to talk and have some fun with them! my zl’s mom follows the mission page, just like my mom, and when he told her he’d be in metz, she told him he’d better give elder libby a hug from his mom! so, he gave me a hug from my mom who had gotten it from his mom who had gotten it from my mom (at least i think) so it was really worn down once it got to me, but still good!  haha

TUESDAY

we woke up and had to hurry fast to district meeting in lux! just kidding not hurry but it always seems like we have to cause we have to be out of the apartment at like 8:30 and usually we don't leave until like 11 so its always a little bizarre. but we got on the train and once we got on the announcer lady came over the intercom to tell us that there was a problem on the rails and that we wouldn't be getting to luxembourg anytime soon. so we were on the train to lux for 2 hours when usually it takes just less than 45 minutes,....haha that was fun! we finally got there and had a really good district meeting and then ate some food and took some time to be chatterboxes and then all was well! haha then on the way back to metz we were all telling each other a bunch of jokes and stupid riddles and making everyone mad cause they couldn't figure them out so that was pretty funny cause me and the one zl knew them all so we kept playing them and making the others upset cause they couldn't figure them out! haha we got home and then my comp realized he needed to shave but had no shaving cream...so we walked and contacted people on the way to the store and went to buy some shaving cream! that was fun and really cold! haha the weather here is freezing! then we got home and took dinner and went out porting where we found this really nice lady who let us in her home to un-thaw and told us i know why you're here but i'm already catholic and i am saved. she told us she let us in because what we were doing is something extremely important and she didn't want us to freeze to death. when we were about to leave i asked if we could pray, she then grabbed mine and my comps hands and held them tight and we prayed! she then told us she would bisou us (double kiss on the cheeks) but she is a little sick. haha it really touched my heart. she was amazing! we then came home and finished off the night!

WEDNESDAY

today was just the weirdest day...like i did not feel like myself at all...haha! it was so weird like i was all over the place and i couldn't concentrate on anything and i just felt really weird. when studies started i couldn't stay focused and i was all over the place and falling asleep...it was just a really weird day and i don't know what was the matter. maybe i just didn't sleep good last night? it was really bizarre. but anyway then we went contacting and i had a letter to drop off and we went in to send it and they have changed all the prices on stamps and everything! they used to be .98 euros and now they are 1.20 euros....so i won't be sending a ton of letters home soon...i'm kinda poor...haha! but then we went contacting until it was time for lunch! we got lunch out of the way and made our way around metz trying to find some less-actives that we could meet. we found this one in a building who was ironically the son of another less-active lady that i've met with a couple times! so that was exciting! we got home and found the relationship and figured everything out. i was pretty proud of myself for figuring the stuff out! then we went contacting and i wanted a patisserie...i had a weird day so i can have one right? i bought a little cream puff and it was delicious. pretty cheap too! then we went home and took dinner for the night and then just went porting again! i told my comp some fun senior year stories again tonight! gosh i love all my friends! i miss them so much. but all is well. soon enough i'll see them again!

THURSDAY

today was really good! they are starting to take down all the holiday stuff from christmas and i think that is helping a lot! this holiday season was just a little rough cause i was away and i wanted to be with family and friends...but it's good now cause it's over and i think my homesickness is finally vanishing away! so i'm really grateful for that! after studies me and my comp went contacting and while we were out he asked me if i wanted to go to mcdonalds for lunch! ummmm....YES! #FIRSTMCDONALDSRUNINFRANCE!!!!!!  you could say i was a little excited! haha it cost me a lot but i got a coke and fry for 5 euros...haha youch...but i'm only gonna make it a rare thing so don't worry i won't be spending nonsense money! i took lots of cheesy selfies so that was fun! then we had dmp and this week was really good. we introduced our new investigator and it was really good! we talked a lot on being able to nourish them in the gospel and how to do it! it was really good. we then had a rdv with a less-active family and they had completely forgetten about the rdv so they let us in for just a little bit and then told us all the drama in paris and what had been happening. what a sad day for everyone! but then we went home for the night. on the way home my comp asked me to explain what grey's anatomy was...haha… he HAD been listening to my senior year chatter! i was really excited to pull someone else in on my strange addiction! haah. and i want to be a dr. when I grow up!

FRIDAY

today was pretty good. we didn't do a ton but we did at the same time! we had our studies and then we had weekly planning.... it takes forever, but it is good and if we don't do it our week is crazy and chaotic. we went way in depth to the area book and talked tons about our amis and we had lots of fun too! it's funny how off topic you can get. but it was really productive and we did what we needed to do. we were talking about the family who hosted our skype calls, and literally after i said how much fun they are, the phone rang, and it was that same sister saying she had a letter from my mom! so she asked us to meet her at the church and she gave it to me. this sister had taken a couple minutes to email my parents and tell them we were so safe, and my mom emailed her back telling her about all the #answerstoblessings from this week, and that they knew at home i was safe. it was really good to hear from them and to see how touched this sister was from doing that little act of email service. she was very grateful my mom trusted her to deliver this message! then we had a rdv with our new ami and we made our way to her house and had a good rdv talking about how important the bom is and how she needs to read it and how she believes that it's true! she's truly been prepared by the Lord!

SATURDAY

today we woke up and we had studies and then finished off our weekly planning and when we went outside to go contacting there was NO one outside and so we went back in and got hardcore into the area book and got way in depth of what we need to do with our area! so that literally took like all day and we just did that! then we had a rdv  where we discussed the importance of going to church. our investigator told us she'd even come to church tomorrow!

SUNDAY

today was ward conference and so church was really special! we went and we had good meetings where one investigator came. he is so integrated with the ward it is phenominal! then during sacrament, some other investigators walked in! it was amazing! we were all so touched by the stake president's talk and i think we might be making progress. the first one told us that he is still praying and wants to be baptized but wants to be sure. he asked us to continue to pray for him so that is really special to me! we then had a ward meal after and our investigators all stayed to eat! by the time that was all over it was about 2:45 and we needed to head home and stay inside. there was a peace walk all over france today and we were instructed for safety to stay inside and on the way home, i kid you not....THOUSANDS of people were walking on the streets of metz. it was really cool to see. the rest of my night was just spent in the apartment and staying safe! haha not a ton happened!

well i had an amazing week and it's all thanks to you! thank you for the prayers and continual support! i love you all and miss you more! thanks for being my friends and family! talk to you soon!

elder libby